RUSSIA - The Russian VA-Delta Western Kamchatka salmon fishery has been certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard.

The certification validates efforts by the remote fishery to ensure the long term sustainability of Pacific salmon.

Its pink, chum and coho salmon can now be sold with the blue MSC label, creating a new opportunity for seafood suppliers in Europe, Canada, Japan, Asia and for domestic Russian market.

The fishery is located on the east coast of Russia, in the western part of the Kamchatka Peninsula on the Sea of Okhotsk coast and the lower reaches of six large coastal rivers: Ozernaya, Koshegochek, Golygina, Opala, Kol, Vorovskaya.

Fishing is the region’s primary occupation, with seasonal workers arriving for the 3-5 months. The fishing season is between July and September. Salmon fishing is also an important source of food for the indigenous population. The long term sustainability of the fishery is therefore vital for local people, employment and economic development.

Two fishing companies, Vityaz-Avto and Delta, both founded in the late 1990s, are included in this certification. The group’s Ozernaya river sockeye salmon fishery was the first in Kamchatka to be MSC certified, in 2012. Catch is processed and frozen at sites owned by these companies, before being shipped to market.